Varsuvius vs annoying Drow (first take)

[teezoen]

Maybe I've got this wrong, but I was interested in all of your takes.

In V's first fight with Z, Z got carried off by agents/lawyers/MIB/whatever.

(http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0065.html)

Now, usually, (and I do say USUALLY, not always,) fights that end in this humorous manner have some kind of 'rationale.' Belkar jumps a thousand feet up, falls a few rounds later, and kills the Hag. Silly, but makes sense.

This fight and a few others don't have those. But I wonder if there are some? Just not apparent? Maybe this was just done up humorously to mask the boring realism of what might 'really' happen? I'm probably going overboard on this, but it's nagging at me, so I wonder what you think?

Maybe Z had a reason to 'withdraw' my some means he'd set up individually? Sensing defeat was apparent, he would naturally withdraw? (As opposed to stay and fight against not only the OoTS but all those monsters, which would seem strange for such a calculating character.) The humor is there for humor, then. (That's my theory anyway.)

[BlackestOfMages]

well, no, it's a copywright joke based on how - early in 3.5 - 90% of all elven PC's ended up ripping of Dr'zzit, as a renegade dark elf who was still a dark elf, and the extent of the ripping off.

Such a Zz'dtri, who's name is an anagram and who uses two scimitars. so he got arrested. (You can't fight lawyers, especialy when rules are involved:smalleek:) and taken away, for being a rip off.

same reason he gave when he came back, carrying on the joke.

[Kish]

:smallconfused: Uh...what?

Zz'dtri was hauled off by the lawyers. That's how Vaarsuvius defeated him. There is no other way Vaarsuvius defeated him. The goblins were delayed in their pursuit of the Order by Fruit Pie the Sorcerer and Roy was resurrected with the diamond Haley took from the cast page. If you're looking for a comic where everything has an inside-the-fourth-wall explanation, you should look elsewhere.

^ Drizzt is the name.

[teezoen]

Nevermind then. :(

[teezoen]

Nevermind then. :(

[BlackestOfMages]

^ Drizzt is the name.

ah, wasn't exactly sure and too lazy to check. I assumed the apostrohie was there because Z has one,though I did forget an i...

also, outside the fourth wall we have both the Roaches and the Oracle speaking directly to the audiance. And squid-thingy gettting arrested as well.

and hayley getting knocked out of the comic by an electric orb

[Flame of Anor]

The apostrophe is in his surname, Do'Urden.

[Mr. Snuggles]

Don't y'ou lo've unnec'essary apos'trophe's in fanta'sy charact'ers' nam'es? It ma'kes them so fun' to rea'd whe'n y'ou're re'ading an enti're nove'l wi'th the sam'e nam'e aga'in and aga'in.

[Mr. Bean]

This comic has its own logic. You would say defeating someone by letting him being taken by lawyers is not something that should happen, but it did happen, in OotS. In fact, I'm quite certain the reason why V "beats" Z and the death knight through non-magical means is to first have V long for more magical power and then to understand that spells aren't solely the means to win. I'm sure some people do not quite like it if battles are ended like that, so they might be kept at a minimum.

[NerfTW]

Indeed. This is a humor comic that openly operates with rolling dice and numbers, references stats, and the characters know it operates on the laws of drama and not physics.


There's no "real" explanation of how any fourth wall breaking event occurs. Z'zdtri was taken away by lawyers, argued his case, and got off. That is all.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Don't y'ou lo've unnec'essary apos'trophe's in fanta'sy charact'ers' nam'es? It ma'kes them so fun' to rea'd whe'n y'ou're re'ading an enti're nove'l wi'th the sam'e nam'e aga'in and aga'in.

The apostrophes mark a second syllable. For example, Graz'zt is two syllables.

[Flame of Anor]

The apostrophes mark a second syllable. For example, Graz'zt is two syllables.

Well, yes, but the point is that fantasy authors intentionally choose names that need apostrophes.

[Talvereaux]

A vowel can be used for the same purpose, and better indicate pronunciation.

[ThePhantasm]

Don't y'ou lo've unnec'essary apos'trophe's in fanta'sy charact'ers' nam'es? It ma'kes them so fun' to rea'd whe'n y'ou're re'ading an enti're nove'l wi'th the sam'e nam'e aga'in and aga'in.

While I understand that they split up syllables, I too find them annoying.

[BlackestOfMages]

Don't y'ou lo've unnec'essary apos'trophe's in fanta'sy charact'ers' nam'es? It ma'kes them so fun' to rea'd whe'n y'ou're re'ading an enti're nove'l wi'th the sam'e nam'e aga'in and aga'in.

It's bad I only noticed the apostraphies when i read about you mentioning them here:smalleek:

I read far to much fantasy

[Tvtyrant]

While I understand that they split up syllables, I too find them annoying.

Well there are modern languages written like that; Turkish and Polish for instance use a lot of apostrophes to make them match the alphabets they have been adapted to.

[Goosefarble]

Nothin' wrong with a bit of apostrophe use.

Long as it's tasteful, and you limit it to about one per story (with important characters/places anyhow), go for it.

Now, HYPHENS.

Don't get me started on hyphens.

[Flame of Anor]

Nothin' wrong with a bit of apostrophe use.

Long as it's tasteful, and you limit it to about one per story (with important characters/places anyhow), go for it.

Now, HYPHENS.

Don't get me started on hyphens.

Now, now, hyphens are quite common in real-world noble families.

[factotum]

Well, yes, but the point is that fantasy authors intentionally choose names that need apostrophes.

Best one was the king of Mallorea from David Eddings' saga--he was called 'Zakath. (And no, I haven't missed a letter out before that apostrophe!).

[Klear]

Well there are modern languages written like that; Turkish and Polish for instance use a lot of apostrophes to make them match the alphabets they have been adapted to.

No they don't. You must be confusing it with diacritic marks.

Edit: Also this. http://xkcd.com/483/

[Kish]

Best one was the king of Mallorea from David Eddings' saga--he was called 'Zakath. (And no, I haven't missed a letter out before that apostrophe!).
To be fair, there was an explanation for that.

(His title was Kal Zakath--Kal meaning King and God--but because the actual god-king of the region of the world that included Mallorea was unlikely to find the title amusing, he never used it until the god-king was dead.)

[Warder]

The writers at Blizzard are the worst culprits in the realm of excessive apostrophe usage. Apostrophes everywhere - character names, location names, names of species... EVERYWHERE.

[Cen]

Well there are modern languages written like that; Turkish and Polish for instance use a lot of apostrophes to make them match the alphabets they have been adapted to.

I speak Polish since I was 2 years old and I've never used an apostrophe :/

[Flame of Anor]

I speak Polish since I was 2 years old and I've never used an apostrophe :/

Aha! Right there in the "I've"--caught in the act! :smalltongue:

[ThePhantasm]

Aha! Right there in the "I've"--caught in the act! :smalltongue:

I think he meant he's never used an apostrophe in Polish. . .:smalltongue:

[Flame of Anor]

I think he meant he's never used an apostrophe in Polish. . .:smalltongue:

Perhaps you mean Pol'Ish...

[Gift Jeraff]

So, now this can become an O-Chul vs. Zz'dtri thread?

[ThePhantasm]

So, now this can become an O-Chul vs. Zz'dtri thread?

Clearly another mark against apostrophes, since O-Chul always wins.

[Flame of Anor]

Clearly another mark against apostrophes, since O-Chul always wins.

We could even the odds a bit and make it an O'Chul vs. Zz-dtri thread...

[KillianHawkeye]

Well there are modern languages written like that; Turkish and Polish for instance use a lot of apostrophes to make them match the alphabets they have been adapted to.

I don't think you know what you're talking about. Turkish (and I assume Polish) has its own alphabet, just like English and Spanish and Italian do (i.e., based on the Latin alphabet). Apostrophes are mostly used to seperate a proper noun from any suffixes in a compound word.

[Nightmarenny]

well, assuming both are the same level then the trade off is that V will have slightly stronger spells(maybe a full Spell level) but Z has that annoying Spell Resistance. That would seem to give V the edge. However V's spell choices are traditionally in the weaker blaster territory.